Accra:The country saw a 4.5 percent decline in live births in 2025, with the total fertility rate (TFR) decreasing to 1.5 children per woman, continuing a downward trend in birth rates.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) reported in its Vital Statistics, Malaysia, 2026 report that 396,175 live births were recorded in 2025, a decrease of 18,743 from 414,918 in 2024. The crude birth rate (CBR) also fell from 12.2 in 2024 to 11.6 births per 1,000 population in 2025.

The CBR for all major ethnic groups decreased in 2025 compared to the previous year. The Malay ethnic group recorded the highest CBR at 14.9 births, while the Chinese had the lowest at 5.0 births per 1,000 population. Terengganu had the highest CBR among states at 18.7 births, whereas Penang recorded the lowest at 9.3 births per 1,000 population.

The report also indicated that the country's TFR dropped from 1.6 children per woman in 2024 to 1.5 in 2025. The Malay group maintained the highest TFR at 1.9 children per woman aged 15-49 years. The TFR for Indians remained at 1.1 children, while the Chinese TFR decreased from 0.9 to 0.7 children in 2025.

In terms of state-level fertility rates, Terengganu recorded the highest TFR with 2.5 children in 2025, followed by Kelantan with 2.3 children and Pahang with 1.8 children. Conversely, Penang had the lowest TFR, declining from 1.2 children in 2024 to 1.1 children in 2025.

The number of deaths in Malaysia increased by 0.4 percent, with 199,807 deaths in 2025 compared to 198,992 deaths in 2024. Despite this, the crude death rate (CDR) remained constant at 5.8 deaths per 1,000 population. Among ethnic groups, Indians recorded the highest CDR at 8.2 deaths, while Other Bumiputera had the lowest at 5.7 deaths in 2025. The CDR for Chinese slightly decreased from 7.6 in 2024 to 7.5 in 2025.

Perak recorded the highest CDR at 8.2 deaths, while Putrajaya had the lowest CDR at 2.6 deaths per 1,000 population.